The Ravenwood Culmination
by LibbyMay
Summary: A Sheldon/Penny romance story. When the outcome of Sheldon and Amy's disagreement over a beloved movie classic results in their breakup, it's Penny to the rescue and even she's not prepared for what happens next. SPOILERS revolving around next Thursday's episode (I got inspired while watching the preview and the idea just wouldn't leave me alone lol). Rated T for now.
1. The Catalyst

**A.N. - **Thanks to the lovely reviews I got for my last one-shot, I've decided to attempt a multi-chapter story, though it probably won't be a long one. The inspiration for this came from the preview for next Thursday's episode, and I decided to add a bit of Halloween fun to it. Enjoy! Warning: SPOILERS for the next episode (though the timeline might be off) and a Sheldon/Penny pairing; those who want the canon pairings need not read.

The Catalyst

Penny strolled down the mall, glancing at the store fronts to see whether she needed to go in or not. She'd gotten off from an early shift at the Cheesecake Factory, but rather than feeling tired, she had had an urge to do some shopping. She felt she deserved it, for she'd been working hard for a month straight, had paid all the bills herself, hadn't sipped one ounce of alcohol, and she hadn't splurged the remaining money on shoes. She'd been going to Sheldon and Leonard's less frequently as well, and she felt guilty for not talking to Sheldon about anything much lately. She knew that Leonard had probably been a pain in the ass to deal with after their third, and definitely final, breakup, but there was nothing Penny could do about it except to let Leonard move on. She had done the math in her head, too. Right about now, Leonard would feel the need to find a woman willing enough to go to bed with him so that he could forget about her and satisfy his desires at the same time. Raj had called her every other day to keep her updated on what was going on, but Penny found she hardly listened, unless it had something to do with Sheldon. Right then, her phone rang. It was Raj and Penny smirked, wondering if she should ask Sheldon about the possibility of mind reading over distances.

"Hey Raj, what's up?"

"Penny I've done something horrible and now I think I've broken Sheldon!"

"Woah there, Raj, what happened? Start from the beginning and go slower."

She could hear him sigh in frustration as he said, "This last week, Sheldon and Amy got into a fight over _Indiana Jones_. Amy was still upset last night, but you were working so she came over to my place to vent. Well, one thing led to another and we ended up having sex!"

"What?!" Penny dropped the soda she had been holding, it's contents spilling all over the floor but she could care less. Shock was flooding her system. "Holy crap on a cracker!"

"I know! The worst part is that we actually _like_ each other and we don't want it to be a one time thing. So Amy and I decided to go over and tell Sheldon ourselves, because we didn't feel right about sneaking behind his back."

"Oh my God, is Sheldon alright?" Panic began to infuse Penny then, and she realized that she was already almost back to her car.

"We don't know. When we told him that we wanted to pursue a relationship together, he just looked at us without saying a word, then turned around and walked into his bedroom and closed the door. We knocked but he didn't respond. Penny you have to come and help, you're the only one who can!"

"I'm already on my way!" Penny raced home, praying that she didn't get stopped for speeding. She practically flew up the stairs and opened the door to 4A without preamble. "How is he?" she asked, noting that while Raj and Amy both looked concerned, they were also holding hands.

Both Raj and Amy leaped up from the couch, Amy hustling over to Penny. "Oh Bestie, he's still in there and hasn't made a sound. I fudged up bad."

Penny grasped her friend's shoulders and said, "Look, the way this happened was shitty, but I'm going to try to salvage it. I enjoy being your friend and I want to keep it that way. Let me go in there and try to talk to him, alright?" Amy merely nodded, tears slowly spilling down her cheeks. Raj whispered a thank you as she strode towards Sheldon's bedroom. Biting her lip, she knocked on his door. "Sheldon, sweetie? Are you okay in there?" Nothing. She tried again, but after about a minute she muttered to herself, "Strikes be damned, I'm going in there!" She opened the door, only to find that Sheldon was sitting on his bed, his chin resting on his hand, apparently lost in thought. "Sheldon?"

His eyes snapped out of his inner thoughts, coming to focus on her. "Oh, hello Penny. No one's allowed in my room, you know that."

"I tried knocking, sweetie, but you didn't answer."

"Oh, I apologize, I must not have heard you."

"Yeah, you did seem to be off in your own little world there." She hesitated then asked, "Are you alright? I mean, Raj and Amy are really concerned about you, and so am I."

"Are they? From what they told me just minutes ago, they certainly weren't concerned about my well-being last night."

"They feel just awful about how it happened, but they wanted to be honest with you. Surely that counts for something, right?" Penny had slowly made her way to his side, sitting down next to him and draping an arm around his back. He seemed not to notice her contact and that worried her a bit.

He sighed, replying, "Yes, that counts for something. Penny, can I be frank with you?"

"Of course, sweetie, you can tell me anything."

"Is it wrong that I feel relieved about the fact that Amy and I are no longer pair bonded?"

"No, absolutely not. Sheldon, no one can tell you how to feel, and if things weren't working between you guys romantically, then there's nothing that could have been done about it."

"I thought that due to our similar thought patterns that we'd be able to cultivate something beyond friendship, but while I care for her as a good friend, I don't feel the urge to become intimate with her physically."

"Well, you were considering it at one point. That was a big step for you. Sometimes, Sheldon, relationships happen to help you grow and learn. Being physical with someone doesn't mean that you had to give up who you essentially are, and I think that being with Amy showed you that."

"True, my work did not unduly suffer. I also enjoyed the look on Kripke's face when he found out I had a girlfriend."

Penny let out a laugh, to which Sheldon smiled at her in return. "Do you think you can face your friends now?"

"Of course I can, I'm not Leonard." The words stung, though Penny knew that he didn't mean them to. He must have sensed that he'd said the wrong thing, for as he stood up, he squeezed her hand. He went to the door, oblivious to the fact that she was frozen in shock, still sitting on the bed. Her skin tingled from where he'd touched her and she marveled at how soft, yet firm, his grip had been. She felt her cheeks begin to burn and she looked at him in awe, a myriad of emotions running through her. _Crap, not this again,_ was her immediate thought. She generally tried to keep things platonic between her and her crazy friend, because really, there was no point in having any other types of thoughts regarding him. However, there had been times, such as when he'd challenged her to play panty piñata, or the time when she'd pinned him down during their wrestling game, or any time they hugged, that she felt those familiar, intense, sensations which indicated she felt more for the tall nerd than just mere friendship.

"Are you coming or not?" And though his words were said in an innocent manner, Penny couldn't help the the innuendo forming in her brain, and her blush deepened.

He didn't seem to notice, however, so she forced herself to snap out of it, jumping up and saying, in a tad higher voice than normal, "Yeah, of course."

Sheldon turned away from her, about to open the door, when something in his brain told him to stop and think. For the first time, something beyond physics and science fiction was filtering into his mind, as his eidetic memory showed him the red coloring on Penny's cheeks, and he found that he thought she looked rather adorable when she blushed. "Fascinating," he murmured to himself, cataloging the information for future reference as he finally strode out into the hall.


	2. Evolution

**A.N. -** Why is it that my head is filled with so many ideas for this story, yet I'm coming up blank for my other ones? Oh well, at least I can get something out on paper lol. On to the progression of Shenny; I decided to incorporate an idea I was going to turn into another story at some point, but it made more sense to just add it to this one. Enjoy!

Evolution

It had been several weeks since Amy and Raj started dating, and things were finally back to what Penny would call normal. She and Leonard could finally talk again without it being too awkward, thanks to his interest in a woman he'd met at a Sci-Fi convention. He'd taken Howard with him, but hadn't gone with anyone else. The weird thing about it was that Sheldon hadn't been upset for not being included on the trip. When Penny asked Sheldon about it when Leonard and Howard had left for the event, he'd looked at her with that tilt to his head he always got when something puzzled him and replied, "I have important work to be done and the convention is a minor one anyway. Besides, this way I get to hang out with you, without Leonard's commentary in the background."

"Aww, does that mean you enjoy hanging out with me?"

"Of course I do. Despite our obvious differences, you've provided the most loyal friendship to me than anyone else we know."

Penny had been both exhilarated and saddened at his comment. Later, when she really thought about it, she realized that he was right, but then she realized that the reverse was also true. If shit hit the fan, she knew that she could count on Sheldon.

Penny's thoughts were interrupted when the room began to shake around her. Growing up on the family farm, Penny had been educated early on how to respond to a natural disaster. In Nebraska, that usually came in the form of tornadoes, though she herself had only witnessed one major tornado there. When Leonard had complained some time back on Sheldon's emergency drills, she'd instantly perked up and had asked Sheldon about it later. He had told her that while he didn't have the time to take her through a drill himself, he would give her a list of the items she would need to purchase. After all, her apartment could be used as a second meeting place, should the inevitable happen. Penny had mused at the time that Sheldon probably assumed she wouldn't pay attention to the list, but if there was one thing she took seriously, it was being prepared. She even had a BLS* card and went to a class every year to keep her skills up. So now, she hurried to her emergency cupboard, and pulled out a hardhat, an orange vest with reflective strips, and a flashlight, then scooted to duck under her kitchen table. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and tried to make herself as small as possible as the room continued to shake. Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound as part of the floor above fell and hit the table. The table snapped into two pieces under the weight, and though she tried to scramble out of the way, part of the table came down on her left leg and she cried out in pain. Finally, the earthquake was over, but Penny couldn't move as her leg was pinned under the table and rubble of the floor that had fallen. She couldn't see the damage to her leg, but she felt the symptoms of shock coming over her and knew that there must be some amount of blood loss. She took a quick assessment of what she was wearing, a t-shirt and jeans, and she took off the bright orange vest and t-shirt, then put the vest back on. She tore her t-shirt into one, long strip, then tied the material tightly around her upper thigh.

Just then, her front door opened and she saw a tall shadow of a man, a light on his head illuminating the darkness, for the power had gone out during the quake. "Penny?" Elation filled her at the sound of his voice.

"Sheldon! I'm under the table and my leg is trapped!"

Sheldon pointed his flashlight and saw her predicament, but he also felt a sense of pride as he took in the fact that she was wearing items that he had recommended she purchase. He hurried over to her, asking, "Do you think it's broken?"

"I've no idea. It hurts a lot though. I think there must be some sort of gash or something too, because it feels like I'm losing blood. I can't see what's wrong though."

It was then that Sheldon saw she'd used her shirt for a tourniquet and that she had been left in only a bra and the safety vest. For some reason, he felt himself grow warm and the familiar sensations of arousal begin to creep over him. He'd seen Penny naked before once, when he'd been trying to help her dress after she'd dislocated her shoulder, and the image had been imprinted on his brain. He still used that memory often when he needed to self-pleasure himself, telling himself that he was only conjuring her image because she was the most aesthetically pleasing woman he knew. Sure, he could have used a magazine or the internet, but he had found that by using Penny, he felt more relaxed and happy afterward. Now, however, the gravity of the situation allowed him to push his baser instincts aside easily and his concern was growing. As he was pondering what to do, the ceiling began to groan in protest. He saw fear widen her eyes, and something strange happened. Later, he wasn't sure whether it was the fact that Penny usually wasn't afraid of anything or whether it was the sight of her looking so vulnerable, but he felt a surge of protectiveness charge through him. Without thought, Sheldon grabbed the table and lifted it up and over, putting it down to the side, swept Penny up into his arms, and hurried out of the room.

Penny watched the whole thing with wide eyes, her breathing quickening when he picked her up, holding her close. She'd heard about women who had done similar acts when their children were in danger, but she'd never seen it actually done before. She heard Sheldon say, "I think we should leave the building," as he headed towards the stairs, but she was staring at the shining blue flecks in his eyes as if she were trying to discern the mysteries of the universe. Something big was happening to her, but she was afraid to look at it too closely, at least for now. When they reached the street, Sheldon gently put her down, kneeling across from her, and stated, "I'm going to look at your leg, Penny." She nodded, noting remotely that there were a lot of people on the street but that she couldn't find it within herself to call out to anyone for help. She could feel him touching her skin and her heart began to beat erratically. _Sheldon _never_ touches anyone voluntarily like this, especially if there's the possibility of an open wound. This is special. I will treasure this moment forever,_ she vowed to herself. "I don't wish to alarm you, but you have a large gash in your shin as your leg is broken, and a piece of bone is protruding from the gash. I need to wrap your leg in something to stop the bleeding." He thought for a minute, then took off his safety vest and outer t-shirt, then put the vest back on. "I suppose we're both losing our shirts today," he joked, making his breathy laugh.

"But Sheldon, that's your Flash t-shirt. You can't use that, it'll be ruined!"

"It's just a shirt, Penny, I can replace it easily," was his response. After he wrapped her leg, he flagged down an emergency worker who brought over an ambulance.

As they lifted Penny up into the vehicle, she asked, "Can he come with me?" pointing at Sheldon.

"Is he your husband, Miss?"

"Well, no, but he's a very good friend of mine."

"I'm sorry, but unless he's a relation of yours or your significant other, I'm afraid he'll have to drive himself."

"I promise I'll be right there, Penny," Sheldon stated. "I'll call the others and I'm sure they'll give me a ride to the hospital. They'll probably want to make sure you're alright as well."

"Okay. Thank you, Sheldon, you saved my life." And at an impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You're my hero," she grinned.

Sheldon stood there, stunned, as the doors closed and the ambulance drove off, his cheek burning where Penny had kissed him. _Hero? No woman has ever called me that before._ The thought was exhilarating and he felt as if his feet were lifting off the ground. His phone rang and his mind was grounded. "Hello, Leonard. Yes, we're fine, though Penny is being taken to the hospital. She has a broken leg. I'm sure she'll want all of us there, including you. I'm just outside of our apartment building. Alright, I'll see you in fifteen minutes. Thank you." He hung up, trying not to count the minutes until Leonard picked him up, until he could see Penny again.

* * *

P.S. - Forgot to put that BLS means Basic Life Support, for those of you who don't know, and it is the card you get for passing the CPR test.


	3. Recovery

**A.N. -** Most of what Penny says she has to undergo for her leg to heal is true, though I made up the bed rest part for this story. It gave me an opportunity I couldn't pass up ; ) Enjoy!

Recovery

It was no surprise that the hospital was overflowing. Sheldon and Leonard waited in the lobby for the others to arrive, though Sheldon paced in impatience. Leonard had brought the woman he had met, Karissa, though she told Sheldon that she liked to be called Kari. Finally, the others arrived and they made their way to the room where Penny was being treated. When they opened the door, she was awake but groggy from the pain medicine. Her leg was in a sling, and it had been wrapped in gauze and splinted.

"Hey guys!" she called out, a lazy smile forming on her face.

"Penny, your leg!" "Are you alright?" "Can we help?"

"Woah, guys, one at a time," she giggled.

"So what's your status?" Amy asked.

"Well, the doctors had to set the bone that was partially sticking out of my leg. Thankfully, I was knocked out for that. Still, it throbs like a bitch. They told me that I have a open compound fracture, and that they can't put my leg in a cast until the swelling goes down a bit. I have to be on bed rest for a week, then I can move around a bit but I'll need crutches of course."

"How long will you have to do that?" Bernadette wondered.

"Eight weeks at least, then they'll check to see how it's coming along. Of course, once the cast is off, I'll still have a couple weeks of recovery to go through in order to get my leg into decent working order."

"That's too bad, but at least you're okay."

Bernadette noted that Penny's face lit up as she said, "Yeah, I'd be a goner if it hadn't been for Sheldon." Bernadette glanced at Sheldon, gasping slightly at the sight of pink coloring his cheeks. She looked back and forth between the two, understanding coming to her quickly. She knew that she couldn't say anything yet, especially not in front of the others, and especially not to Howard, the gossip queen of the group. She would just have to confront Penny later about it.

"But Penny, if you can't work for a month or so, you're going to have a difficult time paying your rent," Amy stated.

"True. Honestly, I hadn't thought about that."

"Not to mention that you'll have a hard time taking care of yourself, not only when you're on bed rest, but for the rest of the eight weeks as well," Leonard remarked.

Sheldon's mind had already processed the complications of Penny's accident, and he felt he'd come up with a brilliant solution. "Actually I have a proposition for both of you. Leonard, Penny, would either of you object to switching apartments for the duration of Penny's recovery? The damage was only to the ceiling of Penny's apartment, and the manager's having it patched up as we speak."

"What?" Leonard asked, befuddled. Penny just cocked her head at Sheldon, not sure she understood him correctly. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?"

"If I covered Penny's rent and utilities during her recovery stage, would you stay at her apartment Leonard? That way, Penny could stay at our apartment in your room, thus ensuring that an able-bodied person is nearby in case she needs assistance." Holy crap on a cracker, he _was_ saying what she thought he was!

"Well, no, I don't mind doing that. But Sheldon, does that mean _you'd_ take care of Penny if she needs help?"

"Absolutely. And when we're at work, we can all switch off on coming to check on her during lunch hour."

"That's really thoughtful of you, sweetie," Penny began, "but I'll probably need help bathing and going to the bathroom too, and I don't think you'd want to do that."

"Well, I'm sure any of us can always assist you to the bathroom, but perhaps either Amy or Bernadette would be willing to help you bathe every night."

"I'd be happy to wash that soft skin of yours anytime, Bestie," Amy cooed, causing Penny to grimace.

"Amy, that just sounds creepy," Bernadette remarked.

"Yeeeaah. Uh, thanks everyone for all of your support. I feel my eyelids drooping, so if I fall asleep on you guys, I'm sorry." They all left the room, telling her that they'd be back later.

In the hospital hallway, Leonard cornered Sheldon, asking, "Sheldon, since when are you okay taking care of someone?"

"Penny is our friend, and as such it would be remiss of me not to offer my assistance to her. Are you suggesting that I should not care for her?"

"Of course not, it's just...unusual for you to _want_ to care for someone."

Sheldon became irritated, stating, "Leonard, while it is true that most of the time I focus on my work and don't put much stock into sharing my feelings willy-nilly, that does not mean I don't care for my friends. Besides, Penny would do the same for any of us at the drop of a hat and you know it."

Shame flooded Leonard and he said, "I'm sorry, Sheldon, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, it's just so hard to understand where your head is at sometimes. And you're right, Penny is the most caring person I know. Thank you for offering to help her."

"Kari seems most agreeable. Are you enjoying her company?" Sheldon asked.

Leonard shook his head, smirking, knowing that Sheldon's shift in subject was his way of accepting Leonard's apology. "Yeah, she's great and we have a lot in common! I'm trying to take things slow with her. I don't want to rush the intimacy, and that's a big thing for me. I think I really like her."

"Good, I think you should start incorporating her into more of our group functions. Perhaps let her get to know the girls too, so she doesn't feel awkward."

"That's a really good idea, I'll do that."

Several days later, Penny was released from the hospital. She used her crutches to hobble into 4A, as Sheldon held the door for her. "Leonard and I already took the liberty of moving the contents of both of your dressers, but we weren't able to move the contents of your closets yet."

"Don't sweat it. If either Leonard or I needs anything from our closets, I'm sure it won't be an issue."

"We were able to switch your bed sheets as well. I felt you might feel uncomfortable sleeping on Leonard's sheets."

"Aww, thanks Moonpie."

"Penny, only my MeeMaw can call me that." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Very mature," he said, but the corners of his mouth turned upward.

"So is the rest of the gang coming over tonight? It's Tuesday, but since I'm not working at the moment, I wondered if you had anything planned."

"No, I thought that you'd want to relax for a night."

Relief and gratitude spread through her. "Thanks, that sounds great, though I'd rather not be stuck in bed all night. Do you think we could watch a movie?"

"That's fine with me, as long as it's on my approved movie list."

"Speaking of movies, do you feel up to talking about the one that you and Amy argued about?"

Sheldon's eyebrows quirked up. "Why would you want to know about that?"

"Well, I didn't know if you wanted to vent to someone about it. I mean, why did you guys argue about a movie anyway?"

"She ruined _Indiana Jones_ for me, so I was trying to find something that she liked which I could ruin as well."

Penny couldn't help it, she cracked up. "Wow, Sheldon, that's probably the weirdest thing I've ever heard a couple breaking up over."

"If you're only going to laugh about it, I see no point in discussing this topic anymore."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm curious, though, what's so great about _Indiana Jones_? Leonard tried to show me that movie once, but I couldn't pay attention."

"How could you pay attention when I'm sure he provided you with running commentary throughout the movie? I digress, though. _Indiana Jones_ is something that I can relate to because he is an educated man, not just a man of action. His day job is as a professor of archeology, and he uses that knowledge to help retrieve priceless, legendary relics." Penny thought she was beginning to understand, but she wasn't quite there yet. Sheldon sighed, wondering how he could sell the movie to her. Finally, he had it. "Actually, Penny, there is a great female character in the movie that you could relate to. She's probably one of my favorite females in a movie, behind Princess Leia of course."

"Oh? What's so great about her?"

"She's clever, she can handle herself but also has the right amount of 'damsel in distress' quality to her, and she calls it like it is."

"Now I'm interested. Do you think we can watch it?"

"It would be my pleasure. Of course, we'll need to start with _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, though strangely enough, the second movie comes first in the time line. But _Temple of Doom_ just isn't as good of a story line." He put the movie in, then said, "I'll make some popcorn and drinks for us."

Penny found that Sheldon was right. Without Leonard talking in her ear, she was actually enjoying the movie. And she discovered something else, that Indiana Jones' love interest was very similar to her. The character was a spitfire, she could fight, but she was also kind and caring. She didn't even realize that she was leaning her head on Sheldon's shoulder until the movie ended. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sheldon, you should have said something."

"Should have said something about what?"

Penny blinked. How was it possible that he hadn't noticed? Unless...No, it couldn't be, could it? She began to put things together in her mind. She may not be a genius like the guys, but she was an expert in the subtleties of emotions, and right now, her instincts were telling her that Sheldon might actually _like_ her. The memories of the moments they'd shared together were crashing down on her with stark clarity. The proud but shy smile he'd worn when she'd called him a beautiful mind the first time they met, the blush on his cheeks when he'd accidentally grabbed her boob, the time he'd asked her out on a date, and all the other moments now had a new spin to them. "Holy crap on a cracker," she murmured. Of course, now that she was aware, she realized belatedly that he probably had no clue how he was feeling. She decided to see how things went here. Just because she liked him, and was pretty sure that he felt the same way, didn't mean that she was going to confront him about that fact. She had plenty of time to figure things out, she reasoned.

Later that night, she was laying in bed, but she was unable to sleep. She tossed and turned, her mind refusing to shut down. "Ugh!" she groaned.

_Knock, knock, knock, _"Penny?" _Knock, knock, knock,_ "Penny?" _Knock, knock, knock,_ "Penny?" came Sheldon's voice through the wall.

"Yes, Sheldon?" she called out.

"Are you awake?"

"Yeah, sadly." There was silence, and she wondered if he'd fallen back to sleep, when she heard his bedroom door open, footsteps down the hallway, and then him knocking at her door. "Just come in, Sheldon."

He opened the door and walked in, sitting down on the bed. "I heard you having difficulty."

"Uh huh, so why can't you sleep?"

"Your relentless tossing in the bed is keeping me up."

"Oh, sorry about that. I guess it's just because of the meds or something."

"Here, let me assist you. If I can help you fall asleep, my REM patterns won't be interrupted again for the rest of the night." Before she could ask him what he intended to do, he reached over and began to massage her shoulders and back.

Her eyes widened as she said softly, "Sheldon, I appreciate the gesture, but aren't you worried about germs?"

Sheldon snorted, replying, "Not to worry, Penny, I have sanitizer."

"Oh." Then after a few minutes, "Oooh, that feels wonderful. Where did you learn to massage?"

"My MeeMaw has diabetes and I would massage her legs," he murmured, marveling at how soft her skin was. It smelled of apples, and he salivated slightly. She'd smelled of apples the first day he'd met her, and ever since then he had associated the scent as something that was purely Penny. She sighed in contentment, and it wasn't long before her head drooped. "Penny?"

"Mmmhmm."

Realizing that she was falling asleep, he maneuvered her so that she was lying down on the bed. He drew the covers over her, but just as he started to move away from her, she turned over and leaned up, kissing his lips. He froze, not sure what to do, but then he found himself closing his eyes and kissing her in return. Her lips tasted exactly how he imagined they would, sweet and faintly of apples. She pulled away from him, a smile lingering on her face. "Sheldon," she murmured, and then she was snoring lightly. Meanwhile, connections were forming in Sheldon's brain which hadn't had any stimuli since he was an adolescent. He walked back to his bedroom in a daze, wondering just what the hell had happened, yet he couldn't find it within himself to feel disgusted or outraged. If anything, he was pondering how he could repeat the experience. That night, he had the most restful sleep he could remember having in years.


	4. Invitation

**A.N. - **So I got the troll reviewer that everyone's been talking about and it made my day, seriously. Needless to say, Mr. Troll, your half-hearted efforts made me laugh, not want to stop writing, because I've seen what you've written on others' fictions as well and I wonder: did you copy and paste from a script or did you have your little sister write it? Anyway, that's all I'll say on the matter because I have to get back to my story. I've included some of the premise for this coming Thursday's episode, minus the part where he comes up with the formula by luck because in my opinion, that's just retarded. (I've discounted last week's episode where Amy works at Cal-Tech because that really wouldn't mesh with my story, seeing as how in my story she's already broken up with Sheldon.) Enjoy!

**P.S. -** Sorry folks, but I don't know much about physics or higher level science, so I can't go into the process of the formula for the element. Just make up a bunch of sciency mumbo jumbo in your head lol.

Invitation

The weeks went by quicker than Penny had anticipated. She was recovering well, thanks to her friends' support. She'd even made fast friends with Kari, who was embraced by the group of girls easily, for she was fun to talk to. Kari happened to be a legal secretary, but she also did a lot of cosplay and she loved comic books and anime. She and Leonard were getting along swimmingly, and Penny was proud of him that he hadn't tried to have sex with her yet. When Penny asked him about it, he'd flushed a tad, but answered that he didn't want to make the same mistakes he'd been making in relationships, which was rushing the intimacy part. Penny was also proud of herself too, for she'd been alcohol free for almost three months straight. Even Sheldon had congratulated her on that one. They'd spent a lot of time together, due to her injury, and she noticed that they touched a lot more often now. They had turned Tuesday evening into their movie night, where it was just the two of them sitting on the couch, eating snacks, and giving their opinions about the movie they were watching. She would lean on him, and though he would huff at her when she did this, he never told her to move. And if it was a particularly scary movie, she would cling to his arm and try to hide her eyes. Once when she did this, he moved the arm she was clinging to, only to drape it around her shoulders while he murmured, "There, there, Sheldon's here." The weird, and awesome, thing about it, was that Penny was content with the minimal contact, considering that she had pretty much figured out that she had feelings for the guy. She also didn't want to make the same mistakes she had when she was younger by rushing the physicality of a budding relationship. And she was pretty sure that's what was going on here.

As far as Sheldon was concerned, he also found the new closeness with Penny something that he enjoyed. It was a strange and interesting process to him, how he reacted to her presence. He kept detailed notes on it as if he were working out physics equations. Even more surprising to him was the fact that his work at the university had improved over the weeks. He felt less stressed, knowing that if he had a particularly rough day that he could go home and talk to Penny about it. Sure, she still irritated him on many an occasion, but he also found himself embracing the challenges she threw his way. It was the middle of September, and Sheldon had just come back from lunch. He glanced at his work on the whiteboard, when suddenly he gasped and darted back out of his office. He rushed to Leonard's office and knocked furiously.

"Sheldon?" Leonard asked confused. "What's going on? You look as if you'd had one too many energy drinks."

"I need you to come with me, quickly!"

"Are you in trouble?"

"No, but I really need you to corroborate something for me. Please, Leonard?"

Leonard had been about to ask if it could wait, but when Sheldon said please, he found himself nodding his head. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." As they entered Sheldon's office, Leonard asked, "So what do you want me to corroborate?"

"Just look at my work and tell me if you see what I see."

Leonard's curiosity was peaked by that point, so he glanced at the whiteboard. Then, he saw it and he gasped and whirled around swiftly. "Sheldon!" he said reverently, "You've discovered a new element!"

Sheldon's face broke out into a grin as he said, "I thought so, but I wanted to make sure."

"Do you know what this means?"

"It means that I can name it."

Leonard snorted, saying, "No, beyond that. You have to go to the board with this, you realize?"

"Of course I do." Sheldon hesitated before asking, "Leonard, I'd like you to be a part of this, if you want."

"What? But this is it, Sheldon, your big break. Hell, you might even get that Noble Prize you've been talking about. And you want to share the credit?"

"Well, when I realized what I'd done, I also knew something else. Someone is going to have to synthesize this new element, Leonard, and my first choice would be you."

Leonard found himself tearing up and then he did something that would likely get him a strike. He hugged Sheldon. "Did I ever tell you that I told Gablehauser what really happened at the Arctic? I didn't realize the ramifications of what I'd done until Penny had a serious talk with me. I'm really sorry about that, and I'm honored that you'd include me on this. I promise I won't mess up."

Sheldon was uncomfortable with Leonard hugging him, but he disentangled himself from the small man and said, "I appreciate you telling Gablehauser the truth. I'm sure your work will be exemplary."

Leonard gave Sheldon a funny look, then laughed and said, "Man. Penny's really made us grow up, hasn't she?"

"She does seem to have a positive effect on people, yes."

And it was at that moment that Leonard knew. The moments over the years that he had chalked up as just the way Penny and Sheldon were to each other, added with the closeness he'd observed between them this last month now coalesced in his mind with crystal clarity. "You like her," he whispered in awe.

"Of course I like her, she's my friend." But Sheldon's cheeks went red.

"No, you like her more than a friend. Maybe you always have," Leonard mused. "Geez, Sheldon, why didn't you say anything?"

Sheldon sighed as he lowered his defenses. "I didn't know."

"But you do now." Leonard looked at his friend with a new fondness, knowing that even if Sheldon had known about his attraction to Penny, he never would have acted on it out of loyalty to Leonard. Leonard had moved past his crazy infatuation with the blonde waitress, and he needed Sheldon to know that. After all, everyone deserved to be as happy as he was. "You can date her you know."

"But I thought that it was against social protocol to date a friend's ex-girlfriend."

"Normally, yes. But this is a special circumstance, as it were. I'm really happy with Kari. I think that eventually, I'm going to marry her. You deserve someone who will make you happy too, and if Penny's that woman, then you should pursue her. Look, I have to get back to work myself, but just think about it seriously, Sheldon. Besides, I think she feels the same way about you."

Meanwhile, at the apartment, Penny answered a knock on the door. Her leg was almost healed by now. She had been doing a lot of muscle exercises. "Oh, hey Wil. What are you doing here?"

The actor smiled and replied, "Sheldon called earlier and asked me to check up on you."

"Aww how sweet of him. Would you like to come in?"

"Sure, thank you." He sat down, letting her get him a glass of tea, when he decided to just ask her. "So are you two going out yet?"

"What?" Penny asked, almost dropping the glass.

"You and Sheldon. Are you dating now?"

Penny tried to laugh it off, replying, "No, no, we're just friends. He's been nice enough to let me stay here while I recover."

"Uh huh." And as she sat down, he fixed her with a stare which dared her to lie to him. "Come on, tell me the truth. Do you like him?"

"Where is this question coming from? I didn't know you were so concerned with Sheldon's love life. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that you guys were practically enemies."

"Well, I felt bad for how crappy I'd been treating him. He made me realize that I'd been taking my fans for granted. And once I got to know him without all the drama, I found out he's a really good friend too, even though he's weird as all get out."

Penny laughed, saying, "Yeah, that's Sheldon all right." She hesitated, fidgeting, then decided she might as well talk to someone. "Alright, yeah, I like him. But no one, and I mean NO ONE can know, okay?"

"Why keep it a secret?"

"Have you met Sheldon? But seriously, I was dating Leonard for a long time and it might cause some tension if I suddenly start dating his roommate. Not to mention that I'm not sure Amy would take it all that well either, despite the fact that she's currently with Raj."

"Look, let me give you a bit of advice, alright? One, you shouldn't worry about what everyone else will think and feel. If you really like Sheldon, what does it matter what others think about it? Two, I don't think it will be such a surprise if you two start dating."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious that you both like each other. I mean, I don't hang out with you guys very often and even I can see it."

"You think Sheldon likes me back?" Penny asked, blushing.

"Yeah, I definitely think so. Now, the question is, are you going to approach him about it, or are you going to wait for him to make the first move?"

"Hmm, well, I think that even Sheldon knows that I'm a big ol' five," she answered, grinning.

"Good, because I have the perfect idea for you."

When Sheldon got home from work, he heard voices on the other side of the door. "Hello Penny and Wil," he said when he walked in.

"Hey Sheldon," Penny smiled at him and he found his stomach twisting in happiness.

"Sheldon, I was just telling Penny that I'm going to be having a Halloween party and that you all are invited."

"Why thank you, Wil. That will be a refreshing change from going to the comic book store."

"I should think so," Wil laughed. "Well, I'd better be going. I can put all of you down as coming then?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Great! I'll see you both around," he said, leaving.

"You know who you should go as, Sheldon?" Penny asked, just like she and Will had planned.

"Well I haven't given it much thought yet, as Will just now told us about the party."

"No, silly, I was going to give you a suggestion."

"Oh, I see. Very well, who do you suggest?"

"You should be Indiana Jones since you like him so much."

She could practically see the moment the idea attached to his mind and his face lit up. "That's actually an excellent idea, Penny!" He paced around the room, excited by the thought. "Yes, perhaps I can get Leonard to be Sallah, Raj as the Monkey Man, and Howard can be Dr. Belloq. Oh, it's perfect!"

"You should probably let them pick out who they'd like to be," she suggested.

"You're right as usual. Very well, they can be whoever they'd like, as long as it's a character within the Indiana Jones universe." Penny chuckled, but figured she'd at least gotten him to agree to let the guys choose their own characters. "Now that we've gotten that business out of the way, I have the most exciting news."

"What's that, sweetie?"

"I discovered a new element today at work!"

"An element is like oxygen and stuff, right?"

"Yes, Penny, very good."

"Wow, that's great!" she ran up and hugged him and he found himself enjoying her hug much more than Leonard's earlier one.

"It is great, isn't it?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear. "I'll need to take my notes to the University Board in order to start the process of making my find official, but I'm sure they'll find no issues with my work. Also, as I'm sure they'll want to make a sample of the element, I'm including Leonard in the process."

"That's really generous of you, Sheldon. I'm proud of you."

"And I'm proud of your attempt to better your education, Penny. I know that many of us have treated you as a lesser mind because of your lack of schooling, but you have helped us in so many ways in which education has no bearing."

Tears began to form in Penny's eyes as she replied, "Wow, Sheldon, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me, and for you to have said it."

It was at that moment that both realized that they were still hugging. They broke apart, blushing. "Well, I'd better order our dinner for us, or we're gonna be starving soon," Penny said hastily.

"Yes, of course," Sheldon stated, but his mind was going over the feeling of her in his arms and the fact that he hadn't wanted to let her go any time soon.


	5. Halloween

**A.N. -** Here's another update folks and yes, it's slightly sappy even for Sheldon, but I just couldn't help it lol. For those of you who don't know who the characters are that I've listed, I will make a helpful footnote at the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Halloween

The day of the party arrived swiftly, and everyone was excited. The boys would be changing into their costumes in Sheldon's apartment, while the girls would be using Penny's apartment. The girls were giggling and drinking sparkling cider, which Penny had stocked up on.

"Wow, Penny, I'm surprised there's no wine," Bernadette commented.

"Nope, I've been doing great on my no-alcohol resolution, so I didn't want to be tempted back into old, bad habits. Besides, this stuff is just as tasty!" Penny said proudly.

"It seems like you've gotten your life together," Amy smiled. "You're getting good grades in school, you've been saving money, and, since your leg is all better, you've been able to have your old apartment back. How does that feel?"

"Honestly? It's a little weird to have my own space again. I mean, I guess I got used to having a roommate and Sheldon's wacky schedule actually helped me to keep to my own routine."

"I'm sure you'll get used to your own apartment in no time."

"Man, I miss hanging out with you girls! I know we hung out a bit during my recovery process, but not nearly as much as we had been, due to the fact that I couldn't really do anything. And it's really great getting to know you better too, Kari. So what are you all dressing up as for the party?"

"Well, since the guys are dressing up as characters from Indiana Jones, we figured we'd dress up as the women characters," Bernadette stated.

"That's great! I am too!" Penny grinned.

Amy asked, "But Bestie, who would you be? Bernadette and I have already picked ours out, and it's not like you're dating any of the guys right now, so you don't have to be a character from Indiana Jones."

"I know, but I want to be. I'll tell you who I'm going to be after you guys tell me yours first."

"Well, I know Howard's going as Henry Jones, Senior, but I want to go as Willie Scott," Bernadette said.

Penny busted up laughing, saying, "Howard's going to try to be Sean Connery?! HAHAHA! I'm sorry, but you should see the image in my mind right now."

"I'll have you know that my Howie does a very good impression of Sean Connery!" But she was trying her best not to smile, so Penny knew that she wasn't offended.

"What about you, Amy?"

"Raj is going as Short Round, which is amusing to no end, but I decided to be Irina Spalko from the latest movie. I like her ruthlessness."

Penny's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "Oooh Amy! I can't wait to see you try on the outfit for that character, it's so unlike what you usually wear! And you, Kari?"

"Well, I'm shaking things up a bit and going as Dr. Elsa Schneider," she smirked. "I've got a blonde wig and everything."

"Nice. I'm sure Leonard will appreciate that outfit," Penny winked at Kari, causing her to blush.

"Alright, sister, fess up. Who are you going as?" Bernadette asked Penny, her impatience showing.

Penny tugged at her lip with her teeth in worry. Once she told them who she was going as, the gig would be up, they would know, and Penny wasn't sure how they would react, especially Amy. "I'm going to be Marion Ravenwood. I liked the scene in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ where she was captured and had to put that dress on. Wil's hooked me up with a replica of that dress."

Amy furrowed her brows, asking, "Isn't Marion the woman Indiana Jones ends up marrying in the last movie?"

"Yeah, but what does it matter?" Maybe she could play it off to the idea that she merely liked the character.

"Sheldon is going as Indiana Jones. Won't that make it seem like you're a couple?"

Penny was about to say that that's not the intention she was going for, but then stopped herself, for it wouldn't have been true. Instead, she asked, "Would that be a problem for you, Ames?"

Penny could see different emotions playing out on Amy's face, mostly confusion, until the dawn of realization came upon the brunette and her mouth opened in wonder. Amy leaned in and asked, "Penny, do you _like_ Sheldon?"

Penny nodded, answering, "Yeah, Ames, I think I do. I'm sorry, but it just sort of happened and -."

Penny's speech was cut off by Amy lunging in and hugging her tightly. "Oh my God, Bestie, that's great!"

"It is?" Penny asked, trying to catch her breath.

"I knew it!" Bernadette cried out. "I knew you were getting closer to Sheldon!"

Amy was all grins. "Of course it's great! My best girlfriend and my best guy friend like each other!"

"Wow, that was so not the reaction I was expecting. Thanks, Ames, you're a great friend! But what makes you think that Sheldon feels the same way about me?"

"Oh please, anyone can see how he looks at you, especially when you two get into an argument. I didn't want to say anything to you because I didn't think you would ever see him in that way."

"She's right, you know," Bernadette piped in helpfully. "Sometimes, I wonder if he's going to take you right there in his spot."

Penny couldn't stop the image Bernadette had conjured for the life of her, and she grew beet red. She coughed, saying, "Okay, girls, no need to get naughty about this yet. I mean, I haven't even approached him about how I feel."

Both Bernadette and Amy looked at each other with knowing, and then Bernadette said, "Don't worry, Penny. We're gonna do you up right so that he won't know what hit him tonight."

The party had just begun, and guests were still arriving. The guys were mingling with the other guests, as Wil Wheaton approached them. "Hey guys, I'm glad you could all come!"

"You've done a marvelous job with the decorations, Wil," Raj commented.

"Yes, it's already ten times better than the comic book store," Sheldon remarked.

"Hey, I resent that," Stuart said. "Just because I don't have the monetary means necessary to decorate my store as decadently as Wil does, doesn't mean I don't try."

"Your decorations are fine, Stuart," Leonard remarked. "I'm sure Sheldon wasn't trying to insult you on purpose."

Leonard elbowed Sheldon in the ribs, and Sheldon immediately put on his koala smile and said "Of course not. All I meant was that this was a refreshing change of venue for this year. Your decorations are more than adequate for a Halloween function, Stuart."

"Thank you," Stuart replied, stretching upwards in pride. Stuart was dressed as Gandolf, which made his preening seem even more ridiculous.

"Have you seen Bernadette?" Howard asked.

"Or Amy?" Raj wondered.

"Or any of the girls?" Leonard remarked.

Wil had a secret, knowing smirk on his face as he replied, "Oh, I'm sure they'll be here shortly."

Sure enough, it was only a few minutes before there was a knock at the door and Wil answered it to reveal Bernadette, Amy, and Kari.

"Wow you look great!" Was the reaction out of Howard, Raj, and Leonard.

"While everyone's costumes are impressive, where is Penny?" Sheldon asked as they were all gathered around, admiring each other.

"Looking for me?" came Penny's voice.

Sheldon turned around and was shocked into silence. He gulped as he took in her appearance. She was radiant, that was the only word his brilliant brain could come up with at the moment, but it was appropriate. She wore a long, dark wig with loose curls that was gathered into a half ponytail. Her dress, it looked like the exact same dress that was in the movie, complete with a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage and hugging her curves deliciously. And to top it all off, the matching heels accented her toned legs.

"You look ravishing," Sheldon said before he could think.

Her eyes sparkled and she answered in amusement, "You look quite handsome yourself." The others stepped away quietly, and a slow, sensual song began to play. Penny glanced over at Wil, who was at the CD player and mouthed her thanks. He grinned in response.

She was about to speak when Sheldon beat her to the punch. "Care to dance?" he asked.

Her mouth quirked up into a smile as she said, "I thought you didn't like to dance."

"I've never cared to dance before now, no."

"In that case, I would love to." Soon they were moving together with the rhythm, and Penny was enjoying every minute of being in his arms. "So what makes you want to dance now?" she couldn't help asking.

"It was merely an excuse to be close to you."

She smiled at him and said, "Why Sheldon Cooper, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to flirt with me."

He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "And what if I was?"

Penny could feel the warmth of his breath start a chain reaction within her body, the heat of it spreading from her face to her toes. She shivered and replied, "Then I'd tell you that you'd better know what you're getting yourself into, Cowboy, because as you know, I'm a big ol' five."

"Yes, I recall," Sheldon smirked as he continued, "In fact, I was counting on it." With that, he surreptitiously maneuvered his hand lower and gave her ass a squeeze.

Penny's eyes went wide, then narrowed at him, her heart speeding up. "Are you teasing me?"

"A little," he admitted, "but isn't that our game, always teasing, never doing anything about it?"

"Yeah, I guess it is. So what do you want to do about that?"

"For starters, I'd like to try kissing you. I'm familiar with the mechanics of the act, but have never initiated it."

She nodded, saying, "You can go at your own pace, however you feel comfortable." He closed his eyes, gulped, and leaned in. Her heart swelled and she decided to help him out a bit by meeting him half way. When their lips touched, Penny knew that this was magic. She felt fireworks, and the fact that he was deepening the kiss told her that he felt the same way. He _was_ the guy, though neither of them had known it at the time. When they broke apart for air, she grinned at him, and commented, "Not bad for your first real kiss, Cowboy." She liked her new nickname for him, it seemed appropriate.

"Not bad yourself, Blossom." He'd called Kitten before, to which she now wondered whether his subconscious was trying to tell them both something. But this new pet name was special, for he was the one who had helped her make her Penny Blossoms a small success.

She smiled at him and said, "So you know that this means we're together now, right?"

Sheldon pursed his lips and replied, "Indeed. I can not guarantee that we won't have complications arise, but I will do my best to be attentive."

"No relationship agreements either, and I will promise to continue to try and better myself."

It was then that clapping erupted in the room, and both Sheldon and Penny realized they had an audience and both turned pink at being watched in such an intimate moment. But Penny brushed off the embarrassment and led them both into a bow. "Thank you all for your support," she said. "I know that things might be a bit strange at first, but trust me when I say it will all work out."

"I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that it's about damn time," Raj commented.

There was a round of, "Here, here." Then everyone began to mingle again. But Sheldon and Penny only had eyes for each other that night.

**List of Indiana Jones Characters mentioned:**

Henry Jones, Senior – Indiana Jones' father, played by Sean Connery

Willie Scott – Indy's love interest in _The Temple of Doom_, a cocktail waitress, played by Kate Capshaw

Short Round – Indy's erstwhile child sidekick in _The Temple of Doom_, played by Jonathan Ke Quan

Irina Spalko – The main villain in _Kingdom of the Crystal Skull_, played by Cate Blanchett

Dr. Elsa Schneider – The love interest of both Indy and his father in _The Last Crusade_, played by Alison Doody

Marion Ravenwood – Indy's love interest in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, played by Karen Allen


End file.
